Travel Diary Britain ’06 – 3rd entry – 19th July 2006

My destination today was the Peak District After getting up at around eight and a nice, ample full English at Chesterfield, I headed out to Chatsworth and its manor house which has been the home of the Dukes and Duchesses of Devonshire for generations. When I stood at the gates at ten I saw that the residence wouldn’t open before eleven but since the landscape and everything was so nice I absolutely didn’t mind going for an extended stroll. While walking, I noticed then that the landscape in the Peak District bore an uncanny resemblance to the landscapes you find in rural Austria. Hills and slopes, some covered with fields, some with meadows – I instantly felt at home. The difference is, however, that the really big mountains on the horizon are missing and that the animals grazing in the pastureland were mainly sheep and not cows. Still, the similarity is stunning and so to everyone who can’t afford or doesn’t have the time to fly to Austria but still wants a small taste of it I’d recommend a weekend in the Peak District.
I returned to the manor house at eleven, went for a dash and paid the admission fee. Now, from outside the residence doesn’t look all too impressive but inside it’s thoroughly baroque – all frills and quirks in gold and marble…
Louis XVI., before his decapitation, would have liked it not bad, I reckon.
But even better I liked the gardens. Finely trimmed hedges, carefully pruned trees and waterworks, the fine spray of which is sent over to the heat-suffering visitor by a cool breeze. Very refreshing. The best sculpture is probably the weeping willow, a fountain that is made of bronze and actually oozes water from its ‘leaves’. Unfortunately I was also experiencing technical problems as suddenly my tripod came apart. Cheap crap!
With the help of some butter as lubricant and a pin I managed to piece it back together but I lost a part so as a replacement some duct tape’s gotta do now… Astounding, how versatile duct tape is, haha.
In the afternoon then I moved on to Arbor Low, an ancient stone circle that seems to be rather unknown, in fact so unknown that no road signs are pointing it out at all and so I ended up enjoying a one-hour drive on the scenic, although narrow, country roads. When I arrived there I didn’t find it as formidable as I’d expected it to be but then, there can only be one Stonehenge and it was still a nice ‘sneak preview’.
Finally I moved on to Dovedale which is, as the name suggested, a gorge that has been carved into the rock by the River Dove in the course of eons. As a result, the rocks on both sides were rising pretty steeply so that the place had a somewhat ‘alpine’ feel to it.
Matter of fact it was so alpine that I had to suppress an inner urge to yodel… hehe.
Anyways, I liked it. After climbing up to the top at some 400 metres height and enjoying the beautiful view from there I descended again and decided for a quick bath in the River Dove which was freezing cold but also pleasantly refreshing. I then settled down at the banks of the river to get dried by the last few sunrays finding their way into the valley and then I drove off heading for Birmingham. Tomorrow I’ll be visiting the birthplace of Britain’s best-known poet – Shakespeare. That’s gonna be spiffing!

Here's an almost Austrian landscape in the Peak District

Interesting and slightly grotesque paintings - that's Baroque as we love it...

Here's what the manor house originally looked as it was still Renaissance style

Oh, what I'd give to leaf through one of them!

This is what was served to royal visitors in the 1930s. Can you read any of it?

Gardening art to its finest in the palace gardens

Do I see fountains?? Water... cold...

Just what I needed!!

Ancient stone circle at Arbor Low

The steep hills of Dovedale

Hell, these stepping stones reminded me of Takeshi's Castle! Careful...